Megliola: A good first step for Red Sox

These Red Sox desperately need us to love them back. Taking two out of three in New York, pleasurable as it was, wasn’t enough. Strange as it seemed, a better measuring cup would be not how the Red Sox did in frostbite Yankee Stadium, but how they do in the Blue Jays’ temperature-control lair this weekend.

By Lenny Megliola/Special to the News

Milford Daily News

By Lenny Megliola/Special to the News

Posted Apr. 6, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 6, 2013 at 6:04 AM

By Lenny Megliola/Special to the News

Posted Apr. 6, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 6, 2013 at 6:04 AM

» Social News

The only thing that was more over-hyped than the Red Sox’ first game of the season was the second game. They were 2-0! They beat the Yankees! They did everything right. Hit. Pitch. Run the bases. Catch the ball. Force the issue. It was Farrell’s Fearless Flock run amok. And they really seemed to care for each other. Yes, the holdover players embraced, literally and figuratively, the new guys. Sweet.

Love, that’s the key. These Red Sox desperately need us to love them back. Taking two out of three in New York, pleasurable as it was, wasn’t enough. The Yankees are a battered team. Strange as it seemed, a better measuring cup would be not how the Red Sox did in frostbite Yankee Stadium, but how they do in the Blue Jays’ temperature-control lair this weekend.

Toronto had loaded up with name studs: Jose Reyes, Melky (the new Mr. Clean) Cabrera, Maicer Izturis (he of the Scrabble name) to go with the fearsome Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. New arms: R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson.

The Red Sox even had a TV promo about the team going to Toronto to take on the new beast of the east, like the Boston-New York rivalry just got kicked off the corner.

(Wonder if Torontonians still have the WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE signs up with John Farrell’s picture on it?).

The Red Sox on Monday return to the scene of their crimes of 2012, Fenway Park.

Make no mistake, Red Sox fans are a resilient bunch. If they can take last year, they can swallow anything. Except another season like last year. That just can’t happen. So there’s a lot of work ahead for this team. And there are curious plots and subplots all over the place.

This you can take to the bank. The loudest Opening Day ovation will rain on a player who’s never stepped in Fenway’s batter’s box before, Jackie Bradley Jr., the meteor across the sky. The only thing he did wrong in New York was strike out against Mariano Rivera to end the third game. Mo the Legend striking out a rookie. What a shock.

Basically all the Red Sox have to do is prevent the crowds, sellout or not, from leaving Fenway disgusted. Play like it really matters, win about 80 games, and keep up the bonhomie, three things that didn’t happen last season.

Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, impressive in spring training, walked the talk against the Yankees. Ryan Dempster wasn’t horrible, but he’s got to cut down getting to three-ball counts. The bullpen came as advertised.

A word about Shane Victorino. Take another look and tell me he doesn’t have, you know, crazy eyes. OK, at least he’s one-third of an outfield, when Johnny Gomes is not playing or DHing, that is special. And two of them - sorry Jacoby - have good arms. Then again, if they all bust their gut running to first base on grounders like Gomes does, it’s a step in the right direction in winning the fans back.

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Looks like the Jarrod Saltalamacchia (bat) and David Ross (glove) catching tandem is a good deal. Not so good for Ryan Lavarnway.

And surely you noticed that Jose Iglesias is poetry in motion at short. And if he hits a bit … When Stephen Drew gets back, he’d better be on his game. Mike Napoli at first base is going to be a problem. You’ve got to be nimble to play the position, and nimble Napoli is not. Plus he’s got bum hips.

Napoli and Gomes will hit some long homers, and they’ll strike out a lot. This means Will Middlebrooks has to have a bat-on-the-ball consistency to solidify the middle of the lineup.

Meanwhile, David Ortiz is back in Florida hoping to get 30 or so at-bats against minor leaguers without his feet hurting. And no, it was just a rumor that Bobby Valentine would throw out the first pitch Monday.